Professional Troublemaker with Luvvie Ajayi Jones Luvvie Ajayi Jones

In this episode, Luvvie is joined by Sally Thornton, HR Consultant and the Founder of Forshay, to give her insider perspective as 'team gardener' on the dysfunction, blind spots, and the necessary overhaul of Awe Luv Media. Luvvie and Sally explore the complexities of leadership, the importance of truth-telling in business, and managing team dynamics through turbulent transitions. They share insights on the significance of financial management, the challenges of scaling, maintaining productivity amidst internal conflicts, and the journey of rebuilding a more intentional and focused company. Sally emphasizes the importance of aligning work with energy and passion, and shares practical tips on team building for solopreneurs and small business owners.

More About Sally:

Sally is the CEO & Founder of Forshay, a firm that takes a holistic lens on how hard work can accomplished more easily, as it’s essential to have both the right players on the team, and the culture and organizational structure that enables people to do their best work. Forshay does this in two ways – with a modern approach to executive recruiting, and by supporting overworked teams with interim experts in the People/HR and Marketing domains -- all grounded with inclusion, diversity, equity and belonging. Sally has done two TEDx talks and has been featured in numerous media including Wall Street Journal, BBC, and Harvard Business Review, aside from her regular lectures at Stanford and UC Berkeley.

In this episode, Luvvie dives deep into 'The Crumbling' - the most tumultuous period of Awe Luv Media - as it faces operational chaos, underperformance, and financial distress in the first half of 2023. Luvvie recounts experiences of unexpected challenges, including unmet deadlines, poor productivity, and critical financial losses that brought the company to the brink of bankruptcy. Despite overemphasizing core values, setting clear priorities, and empowering the team, mistakes continued left and right, leading to the firing of all but one of seven internal team members.

In the midst of these challenges, Luvvie also celebrates the successful launch of their fourth book, 'Little Troublemaker Makes a Mess,' which, in spite of all the seemingly insurmountable hurdles, becomes a New York Times bestseller, providing a glimmer of hope and validation amidst the crisis. The episode reflects on leadership, the importance of trust within a team, and the personal and professional toll of navigating business failures, setting the stage for the next episode: recovery and rebuilding.

In this episode, Luvvie pulls back the curtain on the rollercoaster of transitioning from being a solopreneur to running a 7-figure business. Needing to diversify revenue streams, she went from having one executive assistant to 7 full-time salaried employees (with benefits!). And all the plans she had for 2023, with strategy. How she created systems, strategy and plans to double her revenue. She walks us through her business transformation, from the highs of scaling up to a multimillion-dollar company, to the lows of shrinking down her 'dream' team.

In this episode, Luvvie shares her personal journey—from being a 'failed' doctor to accidental entrepreneur—and reflects on the highs and lows of starting and running her business. She discusses the importance of community, the struggles of building a sustainable business, and how her outlook on entrepreneurship evolved over time. This season promises deep dives into the challenges and triumphs of entrepreneurship, featuring interviews with respected business owners and exploring topics like mental health in business leadership, building resilient teams, and operating with an abundance mindset despite financial uncertainties.

In Season 5, Luvvie delves into the raw reality of entrepreneurship, sharing her struggles and lessons learned from running a multimillion dollar business. Joined by fellow industry leaders, she offers a candid exploration of the unseen side of business, after 2023 was her toughest year running her company. Tune in on your favorite platform to catch every upcoming episode!

Today, Little Troublemaker Makes a Mess is out in the world. In this episode, Luvvie discusses the idea of returning to one's true self, specifically the pure and hopeful version of oneself from childhood. She shares how this children’s book helped her reconnect with her younger self, and how writing the book has helped her inner child heal and learn to give herself grace and self-compassion.